With lighter budgets and heavier workloads, some public defenders' offices around the country are making some tough decisions.



Kentucky public defenders have sued, seeking the right to decline new cases. Minnesota's public defenders earlier this month stopped representing parents in child custody cases. The public defender in Knoxville, Tennessee, wants to stop handling misdemeanor cases.

Indiana University law professor Norm Lefstein calls it a pervasive national problem. He says public defenders' offices are strained even in good budget times.

Miami's public defender, Bennett Brummer, says the current situation violates a defendant's constitutional right to "effective assistance of counsel."

On the Net:

Miami public defender: www.pdmiami.com

American Bar Association: www.abanet.org

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